Dipper teeth with stabilizing inclined faces



I July 15, 1969 r. A. RATKOWSKI DIPPER TEETH WITH STABILIZING INCLINED FACES Filed Dec. l5, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 N 1 l H Im/e 11.120 r Thomas A.Ratk0w$ki. walme, and D 5111-0 rrzegs DIPPER TEETH WITH STABILIZING INCLLNED FACES Filed Dec. 15, 1965 July 15, 1969 T. A. RATKOWSKI 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M ,law Mr GK 0 v 2W 4 S l L; 3 wo 5/ 3 aw r mp m July 15, 1969 'r. A. RATKOWSKI DIPPER TEETH WITH STABILIZING INCLINED FACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 15, 1965 a m 4 a 1m in i P N m I Inventor g 0 Q Thomas A.Ra'kkowsk'1 3,455,040 DIPPER TEETH WITH STASBILIZING INCLINED FACE Thomas A. Ratkowski, Chicago, 111., assignor to Abex Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,021 Int. Cl. E02f 9/28 U.S. Cl. 37-142 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Excavating dipper including a lip and a removable tooth having bifurcated jaws, wherein the mating surfaces of said jaws and lip have inclined faces for stabilizing the tooth against lateral displacement.

This invention relates to clippers and to the manner of securing dipper teeth on a dipper bucket of a power shovel or the like.

A continuing problem confronting users of power shovels or the like equipped with dipper buckets is that of the dipper teeth working loose on the bucket due to lateral movement of the teeth relative to the lip of the dipper bucket. The primary cause of the lateral movement of a tooth relative to the lip of the dipper bucket, resulting in the loosening of the tooth, is the wedging of material between adjacent teeth at their cutting edges. The eventual loosening of a tooth requires shut-down of the power shovel and necessary repairs to tighten or replace the tooth. Therefore, a need exists for an improved manner of holding dipper teeth against these lateral forces exerted by material wedged between dipper teeth without requiring an extensive modification and reconstruction of otherwise acceptable dipper teeth. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is an improved manner of holding dipper teeth on the lip of dipper buckets against lateral forces generated during digging.

A further object of the invention is to stabilize a dipper tooth on the lip of a dipper bucket against lateral forces by affording inclined surfaces on the rearward portion of the tooth for engagement with inclined surfaces on the lip of the dipper bucket. While it has heretofore been proposed to afford flat, vertical surfaces on the lip of the dipper bucket opposite the side walls of the teeth to hold the teeth against lateral movement, this has proved unsatisfactory as wear between the tooth and lip surfaces allows lateral movement of the tooth. Moreover, these flat, vertical surfaces are on the exterior surface of the lip and are subject to being worn away by the material being handled by the bucket. A further object of the invention is to eliminate the foregoing disadvantages by affording inclined surfaces on the dipper tooth and on the lip of the dipper bucket at locations protected from wear by the material being handled.

A further advantage in the use of these interfitted, inclined surfaces is that, if wear occurs between the respective inclined surfaces, the inclined surfaces may be clamped tightly to one another to maintain tight cont-act and this constitutes a further object of the invention.

The present invention is of particular importance for the relatively larger dipper buckets of four cubic yards or greater, which employ a wedge and a C-clamp for securing the dipper tooth to the lip of the bucket. A further object of the invention is to center and hold the C-clamp against lateral movement by affording inclined surfaces States Patent O 3,455,040 Patented July 15, 1969 thereon for mating engagement with inclined surfaces on the tooth against which the C-clamp exerts both clamping and longitudinal forces.

Another object of the invention is an improved manner of holding of a tooth on a lip of a dipper bucket against lateral forces by a forward lug on the lip disposed in a complemental socket at the forward portion of the tooth in combination with the rearward inclined surfaces on a tooth in mating engagement with a portion of the lip.

Heretofore, it has been general practice to taper the extreme forward edge of the lip of the bucket which fits in the socket of a tooth, thereby reducing the strength of the lip of the bucket at the point at which the forces from the tooth are applied to a lip. Accordingly, a further object of the present invention is to strengthen the lip of a dipper against deformation by a dipper tooth by providing a substantially uniform cross-sectional thickness of metal at the extreme forward portion of the lip for fitting into the socket of a tooth.

Another object of the invention is an improved construction of dipper tooth having rearward inclined surfaces thereon for stabilizing the dipper tooth when mounted on a dipper bucket.

Another object of the invention is an improved lip construction of a dipper bucket of substantially uniform cross-section at the teeth locations of the forward end of the bucket lip.

Another object of the invention is an improved C-clamp having inclined surfaces for holding the C-clamp against lateral movement.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tooth for securing to the lip of a dipper bucket or the like and constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a C-clamp member and wedge member securing an adapter of the tooth to the lip of a bucket;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows and showing the double inclined surfaces on the respective lip, tooth and wedge member;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the lip of a dipper bucket showing the inclined surfaces and an opening for receiving the clamping means;

FIG. 4a is a sectional view taken along the lines 4a4a of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows showing the inclined surfaces;

FIG. 5 is an end view of a C-clamp according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is an end view of a C-clamp having inclined surfaces disposed oppositely from that of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a wedge pin;

FIG. 8 is a plan view taken along the lines 88 of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows of the wedge pin; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines 9--9 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows and showing the cross-sectional thickness of the lip of a bucket.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated the preferred manner of securing a dipper tooth 10 to a lip 11 of a conventional dipper bucket or the like. The tooth 10, FIG. 1, is preferably a two-piece tooth having a forward separable point or tip 12 and a rearward adapter 14 which is connected to the dipper lip 11. The tip or point 12, FIG. 1, has a rearward portion 13 extending into a forward socket 15 of the adapter 14 and a wedge pin 16 is driven through aligned openings in the adapter 14 and tip 12 to secure the tip to the adapter 14 and thereby form a complete tooth. The tip or point 12 is a conventional point and its manner of attachment to the adapter 14 does not form part of the present invention.

An important aspect of the present invention is the manner of securing the tooth 10 against sidewards or lateral movement relative to the lip 11 of a dipper bucket. The lip 11 of a typical dipper bucket has secured thereto a plurality of dipper teeth 10 between which material is wedged during a digging operation. Each tooth 10 is secured to the dipper lip 11, FIG. 2, by a securing or clamping means which, in the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention, includes a C-shaped clamping member 21 and a wedge pin 22 both of which are disposed in spaced openings 24 in the tooth 10 aligned with an opening 25 in the lip 11. The use of a C-shaped clamping member and a wedge pin is conventional with larger dipper buckets of four cubic yards or greater.

As can best be appreciated from FIG. 3, the rearward portion of the adapter 14 is bifurcated to form a pair of spaced, rearwardly extending wings or jaws to receive and to embrace the lip 11. More specifically, the adapter 14, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, has an upper jaw 27 and a lower jaw 28 which fit about the lip 11.

The configuration of the lip 11 at the place where the tooth 10 is secured, can best be understood from the illustration of FIGS. 4 and 9, where the lip 11 is shown with its forward end or portion 30 having a small lug 31 extending outwardly from a forward, rounded wall 32 bounding the forward end 30 of the lip 11. As best seen in FIG. 9, the lip 11 is of relatively uniform crosssectional thickness at the tooth-receiving, forward portion 30 between an upper surface 34 and a lower surface 35. This tooth-receiving portion 30 of the lip -11 bears the brunt of the forces from the tooth 10, which forces tend to bend the lip 11. Heretofore, the entire forward end of the lip of a dipper has been tapered in crosssectional thickness to afford a less thick cross-section at the forward or terminal wall 32 of the lip. The reduction of lip cross-section between the dipper teeth 10 facilitates the entry of the lip of the dipper into the ground or the material being worked. It is preferred that the lip of the dipper remain of this tapered cross-section between the teeth, but that the portion 30 of the lip be built up to be of a nontapered, uniform thickness. However, the manner of securing a tooth to the lip under the principles of the present invention is the same irrespective of whether or not the lip is tapered in crosssection or of uniform cross-section at its forward end.

For either construction of the lip 11, the adapter 14 will have interior walls 38 and 39, FIG. 2, on the jaws 27 and 28, respectively configured, generally complementary to the forward portion 30 of the lip for relatively flush engagement with the respective top surface and lower surface 34 and 35 of the forward lip portion 30. The interior walls 38 and 39 of adapter jaws 27 and 28 extend forwardly to a forward wall 40, FIG. 2, which is complemental in shape to the rounded wall 32 of the lip 11. The forward wall 40 extends the full width of the adapter 14 which is relatively narrow in width, see FIG. 3, extending only between side walls 60 and 61.

A small socket complementary in shape to the lug 31 is formed in the adapter 14 to receive the small lug 31 having a forward wall 43. The small socket is located centrally between the side walls 60 and 61 and extends forwardly of the forward wall 40 and terminates in a forward rounded wall 42, FIG. 2, for receiving the small lug 31 on the lip 11. The small lug 31 has side faces 44 and 45, FIG. 4, which fit closely to the socket walls in the adapter 14. The lug side faces 44 and 45 are for engagement with the complemental socket walls formed in the adapter 14 to hold the tooth against lateral forces at the forward portion of the lip 11 and forward portion of the adapter 14. Manifestly, the arrangement may be reversed with the small socket formed in the forward wall 32 of the lip 11 and with the small lug formed to extend rearwardly of the rounded wall 40 on the adapter 14, and still be within the principles of the invention.

An important aspect of the present invention is to stabilize the rear portion of the adapter jaws 27 and 28 against sideways movement by forces exerted on the tooth 10, as for example, by forces generated by the wedging of material between the adjacent teeth 10 secured to the lip 11. To this end, the lip 11 and adapter 14 are afforded with cooperating inclined surfaces extending longitudinally of the socket and of the tooth. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of the lip 11 is provided with inclined or wedge faces and 51, FIGS. 3 and 4, disposed in engagement with complemental inclined or wedge faces 52 and 53 upon the adapter 14. Likewise, it is preferred that the lower surface of the lip 11 have inclined or wedge faces 54 and 55 in engagement with the respective inclined or wedge faces 56 and 57 on the adapter 14. The surfaces thus afforded define upper and lower cavities in the lip that are generally trapezoidal in outline, as will be evident in FIG. 3.

The respective inclined faces 50-57 serve to hold the tooth 10 against lateral movement in the lateral direction, illustrated by the directional arrow DA, FIG. 3, when forces are being applied against the vertical side faces 60 and 61 of the tooth 10. That is, material being wedged against a side face 60 or 61 may exert a twisting force on the tooth 10 tending to turn or slide its rearward portion laterally relative to the lip 10. This laterial movement is prevented by the inclined surfaces 50-57. However, the inclined surfaces 50-57 permit longitudinal sliding of the tooth 10 to fully seat the tooth on the lip 11 as the respectively mated inclined surfaces slide along one another.

Preferably, the upper inclined faces 50 and 51 on the lip 11 are inclined relative to one another to afford a double taper, as shown in cross-section in FIG. 4A, extending to a flat, common plane or surface 65. Likewise, the lower inclined surfaces 54 and 55 are inclined relative to one another and extend to a lower common plane or surfaces 66.

In a similar manner, as best seen in FIG. 3, the adapter 14 has upper inclined faces 52 and 53 which are also inclined downwardly to form a double taper. The inclined faces 52 and 53 meet at a common plane or surface 68 to be disposed immediately above and spaced from the surface on the lip. In a like manner, inclined faces 56 and 57 of the adapter 14 intersect in a common plane or surface 69 opposite a surface 66 on the lip 11. The use of double tapered surfaces is preferred; but manifestly, a single inclined surface, or a greater number of inclined surfaces, in excess of the two surfaces illustrated, may be employed within the principles of this invention.

The portion of the lip 11 having the taper surfaces 50, 51 and 54, 55 is thickened in the form of ribs 72 and 73, FIG. 9, from that of the cross-sectional thickness shown at the forward portion 30 of the lip 11. A pair of upper ribs 72 on the lip 11 each have a flat, top surface 70, FIG. 4, for engagement with surfaces adjacent outer edges of the socket wall 38 of the upper jaw 27; and a pair of lower ribs 73 on the lip 11 each have a flat surface 71 for engagement with surfaces adjacent the outer edges of the socket wall 39 of the lower jaw 28. The ribs 72 and 73 extend longitudinally and rearwardly from the slot 25, FIGS. 4 and 5, for a distance sufiicient to engage the entire rearward end portions of the adapter jaws 27 and 28 along the inclined wedging surfaces 52, 53 and 56, 67, respectively. The respective pairs of spaced ribs 72 and 73 form longitudinally extending keyways in the lip 11 w th inclined side walls 50, 51, 54 and 55 for engagement wlth complementary inclined surfaces forming a key extending longitudinally of the tooth.

As seen in FIG. 2, these rearward portions of the adapter jaws 27 and 28 are engaged by the C-clamp member 21 which exerts clamping forces on the jaws 27 and 28 urging them towards one another and into tight engagement with the ribs 72 and 73 on the dipper 11p 11. The C-clamp member 21 includes a main body portion 74, FIG. 2, with hooked end portions 75 and 75A extending generally transverse to the main body portion 74 and formed with inclined upper wedge surfaces 76 and 77, FIG. 5, meeting at a pointed edge 80, FIG. 5, and lower inclined wedge surfaces 7 8, 79 meet at a lower inclined 'edge surface 81.

As can best be appreciated from FIG. 3, the wedge surfaces 76-80 on the C-clamp member are adapted for mating engagement with complementary surfaces formed in recesses 85 and 86 in top wall 90 and bottom wall 91, respectively, of the adapter 14. The recesses 85 and 86 'afiord general protection to the ends 75 and 75A of the C-clamp member 21 as they are disposed generally within the confines of the outer surface walls 90 and 91 of the adapter 14.

The transverse end portions 75 and 75A of the C-clamp member 75 exert a clamping force on the respective rearward portions of the jaws 27 and 28 of the adapter 14 as the C-clamp member 24 is driven rightwardly by the wedge pin 22, FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, the upper wedge surfaces 76, 77 and 80 moving against the complementary inclined surfaces in the recess 85 force the upper jaw 27 downwardly. Likewise, the forcing of the inclined surfaces 78, 79 and 81 along the inclined surface on the jaw 28 in the recess 86 force the lower jaw 28 upwardly into tight clamping engagement with the lip 11.

The wedge pin 22 includes a long rearward inclined face 95 for engagement with a forward inclined face 96 on the C-clamp member 21. The wedge pin 22 has a forward rounded surface 97 for engagement with a complementary rounded surface 98 formed in the forward portion of the slot 25, FIG. 4, in the lip 11. The thickness of the wedge pin 22 increases in an upwardly direction towards the rounded head portion 99. When the wedge pin 22 is first inserted into the engagement with the C-clamp member 21, a lower locking appendage 100 on the pin 22 is straight, as seen in FIG. 7. Repeated hamrner blows on the rounded head 99 will drive the wedge pin 22 downwardly with the forward rounded wall 97 in sliding engagement with the rounded wall 98 on the lip 11 exerting forces on the C-clamp member 21 to move the adapter 14 rearwardly to seat tightly the forward end 30 of the lip 11 in the socket formed between the walls 38 and 39 of the adapter 14. Simultaneously, the driving of the C-clamp member 21 and adapter 14 rearwardly causes relative sliding movement of the inclined surfaces 76-81 on the C-clamp along the complementary surfaces of the adapter 14 tending to spread the ends 75 and 75A, which in turn exert a force upon the jaws 27 and 28 to grip the lip 11.

After the wedge pin 22 is driven to its seated position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the appendage 100 is bent rearwardly against an inclined surface 104 on the lower portion of the C-clamp member 21 to hold the wedge pin 22 against working upwardly and outwardly. It will be seen that the respective double-tapered surfaces 52, 53 and 56, 57 on the inner sides of the adapter jaws 27 and 28 are protected from abrasive wear by the material moving about the adapter 14. Similarly, the double-tapered surfaces 50, 51 and 54, 55 on the lip 11 are also protected from abrasive wear by the material moving about the dipper tooth 10. Also, it will be seen that these respective inclined surfaces on the adapter 14 and on the'lip 11 cause a self-centering action for aligning the tooth 10 in a centered position upon the lip 11. After considerable digging, it is usually found that wear has occurred between the respective wedge surfaces on the lip 11 on the adapter 14. A further driving of the pin 22 downwardly will cause the C-clamp member 21 to move rightwardly as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 to exert additional clamping forces on the double tapered'surfaces on the jaws to hold them in tight engagement with the double tapered surfaces on the lip and thereby hold the tooth against lateral movement.

Another embodiment of the C-clamp member 21A, is shown in FIG. 6, wherein wedge surfaces 76A and 77A are reversed from the wedge surfaces 76 and 77 of the C-clamp member 21 illustrated in FIG. 5. Other shapes of wedge surfaces for holding the C-clamp centered may also be employed and fall within the purview of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides inclined surfaces on the adapter and on the lip of the dipper which are in engagement and which prevent sideways displacement of a tooth relative to the dipper. Also, the inclined surfaces formed between a C-clamp member and the exterior surfaces of the adapter 14 are inclined in a manner to stabilize the C-clamp member against lateral displacement. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the inclined surfaces on the adapter and lip are employed in combination with the nesting of a small lug 44 at the forward end of the lip in a forward socket of the adapter. Although the preferred form of the invention, described herein, has the keyway grooves in the lip 11 and the key with inclined side walls on the tooth, the arrangement could be reversed with the keys on the lip and the keyway grooves in tooth; and still be within the purview of the present invention.

Hence, while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that they are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claim.

I claim:

1. In an excavating dipper, the combination of a dipper lip and a dipper tooth having rearwardly longitudinally extending bifurcated jaws receiving the dipper lip therebetween, said jaws and dipper lip having openings therein adapted to be aligned, securing means in said openings for securing said tooth to said dipper lip, said jaws and securing means being formed to cause the jaws to clamp onto said lip and including a C-clamp member and a wedge pin in said aligned openings, said C-clamp member having a main body portion and end portions extending from opposite ends of said main body portion, said end portions having inner faces inclined outwardly from the main body portion, and each of said faces being V-shaped in cross section and mating with oppositely formed surfaces on said dipper tooth, and coacting means on the mating surfaces of :said lip and jaws for stabilizing said tooth on said dipper against lateral displacement, said coacting means including longitudinally extending generally V-shaped grooves on opposite sides of said dipper lip, extending rearwardly from the opening therein, each groove having a bottom surface extending parallel to the dipper tooth jaws and upwardly and outwardly extending inclined surfaces, one at each edge of said bottom surface, each said jaw having oppositely formed, inclined surfaces mating with the inclined surfaces of said grooves, a lug extending outwardly from the forward edge of said dipper lip, and

a socket formed at the bight of said jaws mati'ngly receiving said lug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Werkheiser et a1 37142 Nichols et a1. 37142 Jenkins 37141 Van Buskirk 37142 XR Whisler 37142 XR Mork 37142 Hosmer et a1 37142 Ratkowski 37-142 Noack 37142 Murtaugh 37142 Nelson 37142 Van Buskirk 37142 Reinhardt et a1. 37142 XR Opsahl 37142 Van Buskirk 37142 Henkel 37142 Eyolfson 37142 Nichols 37141 EDGAR S. BURR, Primary Examiner De Biasi 37141 15 37 141 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

